


Watch Over Me

by HollyEDolly



Series: Wrapped Around My Heart [3]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Feels, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, Nightmares, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-24
Updated: 2014-03-24
Packaged: 2018-01-16 21:06:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1361794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HollyEDolly/pseuds/HollyEDolly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Usually when he shares his bed there’s sex involved but with her although yes, he’s thought about it, so sue him he’s a guy and she’s beautiful. He’s content just to hold her, to have her near, it’s her presence he craves not just her body. It’s the deep connection they share; he can be himself around her, he doesn’t have to hold it together like he does with the others. They’re equals he knows he can confide in her, take comfort in her or simply just be with her and he can offer the same to her. He finds himself gravitating towards her bunk each night, he tells himself it’s just to check on her. Just to reassure himself that she’s OK, that he didn’t lose her but deep down he knows why he goes. He goes because every night he gets closer to telling her, every night he’s drawn to her. Mostly he sits by her door like a centenary watching over her as she sleeps, he’s aware this is probably a little creepy and he should just tell her. The only thing that stops him now is the thought that she doesn’t feel the same way. He knows she cares for him, she’s proven that on more than one occasion and they’re most definitely friends now. But is she ready to take the next step with him? Does she want too?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Watch Over Me

**Author's Note:**

> Authors Note: The final part of the “Wrapped Around My Heart” trilogy, I hope you enjoy this one as much as the others.

I know it's me that's supposed to love you  
And when I'm home you know I got you  
Is there somebody who can watch you?  
(Is There Somebody Who Can Watch You, The 1975)

It’s been a week since Simmons released Skye from the med pod, a week since things returned to normal on the bus. Or as normal as they ever are on a S.H.I.E.L.D mobile flying unit. They’ve resumed her training and as he promised he doesn’t go easy on her. She’s more determined than he’s ever seen her and every time she masters a manoeuvre or knocks him on his ass, he can’t help the pride he feels. Looking at her now you wouldn’t know she’d been so close to death only a few weeks ago, the scar on her stomach the only physical reminder. How she’s coping mentally though? He doesn’t know, like him Skye is very guarded when it comes to how she’s feeling. Sure she’s empathetic and compassionate towards others, when it comes to those around her she wears her heart on her sleeve. When it comes to herself she deflects and she does it well. As happy as he is to have her back, to watch as her combat skills grow, he’s worried. Worried that she hasn’t really dealt with what happened, other than their late night conversation she hasn’t mentioned it again. It’s not like he expects her to mope around the place, he knows that’s not who she is but he can’t help but feel she’s bottling her emotions and that is never good. He should know, he’s an expert bottler but these last few weeks he’s come to realise if he were more open about his feelings, the load he carries may just be that bit lighter.

He’s sure it’s her influence; no-one has ever been able to make him rethink his life like she has. She reaches him in places he didn’t know anyone could, he wouldn’t say he’s completely recovered from his ordeal with Lorelei but with her help maybe he’s getting there. As for his other problem, well he still has no idea how he’s going to deal with that. Since their first midnight talk he’s been able to admit to himself that he does care for her, a lot. OK maybe that’s an understatement, he probably most definitely is in love with her. He’d told himself now was not the time, they both had so much to deal with right now but in the back of his mind a little voice nags. Is there ever going to be a right time? He nearly lost her once; even with all the training he’d been giving her there are no guarantee’s in this line of work. Even the best agents got hurt just ask Barton or Romanoff. When he thinks of what could have been, his chest feels like it’s caught in a vice and his heart aches. To think that he could be here without her, not hearing her laugh or rolling his eyes at all her dumb jokes. It’s almost more than he can bear, he doesn’t want to go back to being the man he was before. Haunted by his past, closed off and downright cold sometimes, he likes who he’s become. For the first time in a long time he feels valued, like he belongs and she’s a big part of that. As much as he cares for his team, could he stay without her? He doesn’t know what he does know is that it’s getting harder not to tell her.

Especially since he craves her company now more than ever, he’s only spent two nights in her bed but he misses her embrace. The way she lays her head on his chest, the peaceful look on her face and the way she sighs in that contented way as sleep claims her. Usually when he shares his bed there’s sex involved but with her although yes, he’s thought about it, so sue him he’s a guy and she’s beautiful. He’s content just to hold her, to have her near, it’s her presence he craves not just her body. It’s the deep connection they share; he can be himself around her, he doesn’t have to hold it together like he does with the others. They’re equals he knows he can confide in her, take comfort in her or simply just be with her and he can offer the same to her. He finds himself gravitating towards her bunk each night, he tells himself it’s just to check on her. Just to reassure himself that she’s OK, that he didn’t lose her but deep down he knows why he goes. He goes because every night he gets closer to telling her, every night he’s drawn to her. Mostly he sits by her door like a centenary watching over her as she sleeps, he’s aware this is probably a little creepy and he should just tell her. The only thing that stops him now is the thought that she doesn’t feel the same way. He knows she cares for him, she’s proven that on more than one occasion and they’re most definitely friends now. But is she ready to take the next step with him? Does she want too? It’s his fear of losing what they have that holds him back and his fear of losing her altogether that demands he come clean. He’s stuck in an endless stalemate and that’s how he finds himself propped against her door yet again.

It’s just after one in the morning and the rest of the team are sound asleep, the bus is silent, he really should go and get some rest. His lids are heavy and if he’s not careful he’s going to fall asleep against her door. Just as he gets to his feet he hears it, she’s screaming, without even thinking about it he opens her door. Her bunk is almost in complete darkness only a sliver of light from the now open door prevents it from being pitch black. She’s covered in cold sweat, tangled up in her blankets, talking in her sleep pleading desperately with an invisible tormentor. “Please No” she begs, she’s terrified. Her voice is broken, he moves towards her, he needs to wake her up. She’s obviously having a nightmare, it’s not surprising he’s had a few in his time, even recently but he shakes that away she needs him. Tears stream down her face and she cries out again “Please don’t hurt him, I’ll do anything...please” she’s reaching towards someone or something. He flips on the lamp by the bed hoping it might rouse her but no luck. Then he hears it and he has to check to make sure she’s still asleep “Grant!!!” her voice somewhere between a scream and a sob. Crouching by the bed he strokes her face gently, he knows you’re not supposed to wake someone suddenly from a night terror. What he hears next breaks his heart because it confirms his suspicion about what torments her, it’s the same vision that torments him “Please don’t leave me, you have to hold on. You can’t leave me. I love you...please don’t go”. He does the only thing he can think of to reach her; he talks to her hoping that wherever she is she hears him.

“Skye I’m here, it’s not real OK you’re dreaming. You have to wake up, you have to come back to me because...I love you too” OK not how he’d envisioned telling her but she needs to wake up now. Oh to hell with this, her sobs are almost hysterical now. He picks her up out of the bed and sits back down with her in his arms; cradling her to his chest he rocks her. Whispering soothing words into her ear, he feels her stir and her sobs quieten it’s working “Come on Skye, come back to me now. I’m here OK, I’ll always be here” he kisses her temple tenderly. She jerks awake in his arms, looking around wildly till her eyes lock with his and realisation hits her. Then fresh tears fall, she buries her head against his chest as all the pain and heartache she’s been holding onto pours out of her. He lies them down on the bed, never letting go of her as she trembles in his arms. Holding her close, he strokes her hair.

“Shhhh” he soothes “I got you”

“I thought I lost you, he shot you and there was so much blood. I tried to stop him...but I...I couldn’t” he can barely make out what she’s saying but he got the gist before. Her voice is thick with tears, his shirt is soaked but he doesn’t care about that, he only cares about her.

“It was just a dream, I’m right here Skye...right here” as if to reinforce it to her he holds her tighter.

“But it felt so real” she stammers, looking up at him through tear stained lashes.

“I know but it’s not OK, it was just a nightmare” he breathes because he knows how real it feels. He wasn’t there when she was shot but his mind does a pretty good job of conjuring up the scene. She does something he doesn’t expect, she kisses him her lips a tender caress against his. He freezes it’s not like he doesn’t want this, in any other circumstance he’d be on top of the world but she’s incredibly vulnerable right now. He’d never want to take advantage of her; he knows what he heard but still...

“Skye I...” he starts.

“I’m sorry” she whispers “I just had to know I’m not still dreaming, I had to know I didn’t lose you”

“It OK” he offers her a small smile.

“I know you probably don’t feel the same way” she smiles sadly. What?! Fuck this he’s not having her think that, not after everything that’s happened.

“Skye I...I Love You. I just... you’re upset and...” he doesn’t get chance to finish that thought because she kisses him again. This time it’s not a chaste kiss, this time it’s raw emotion her lips are insistent against his. His body does the thinking for him this time; he responds kissing her deeply his tongue slipping through her parted lips. She moans against his mouth. She breaks the kiss to look at him, her smile is watery but it’s there.

“You Love Me?” surprise colouring her tone.

“Yeah” it’s barely a whisper.

“Grant...I...” he can tell she’s trying to get the words out but oddly he doesn’t need to hear them again because he already knows. He was just so worked up before he didn’t see it, how could it be anything else but love between them. He smiles at her reassuringly and then presses his forehead to hers.

“It’s OK Skye, I know, you don’t have to say it if you’re not ready. This isn’t exactly how I planned to tell you” he laughs softly. She nuzzles his nose with hers.

“How long?” she asks quietly.

“Since the first time I slept beside you...or at least that’s the first time I could admit it” she nods.

“You know when Quinn...when he...you know. All I could think about was you, how I’d screwed it up between us and I was never going to be able to put it right. I tried to get to you...” he strokes her cheek gently wiping away her tears just as he did the other night but this time he does press his lips to hers. He doesn’t want her to think that, they’d both made mistakes, neither of them were perfect but it doesn’t matter not when they’re together. 

“Stop” he’s stern “don’t do that, don’t ever do that because what happened before it doesn’t matter. None of it matters you don’t have anything to prove to me Skye. Everyone makes mistakes god knows I have” he laughs bitterly remembering his ill advised fling with May, the way he treat her after Miles, the way he spoke to her under the berserkers influence. All the things he’d said and done to push her away before. If she could ignore all that and she had ignored it all, then he’d never hold Miles against her again. “All that matters is us that we’re here together, now. That’s all I care about and maybe that’s selfish but you know what? I don’t care, I love you and all those reasons that I had before that said we couldn’t do this. They don’t matter either because I can’t fight against this anymore. I don’t even want to try. We both screwed up but we’ve been given a second chance most people, they don’t get that. I’m not going to blow it this time”. The conviction in his voice astounds even him, she’s speechless she just looks at him for a moment and then she smiles. Really smiles and the affect is breathtaking, she’s always been beautiful but when she smiles like that she stops his heart.

“You’re right, this is our second chance...let’s not screw it up this time OK? Because I...love you and I can’t lose you” all he can do is beam like some lovesick teenager. All he’d planned to do tonight was watch over her but here he was with her snuggled in his arms. He wished they could stay like this always, that he could hold her close, protect her from the world but he knew he couldn’t.

“Me either” she rests her head over his heart like she always does when he lies with her.

“Will you stay with me?” she murmurs sleepily. He smiles against her hair he’s glad she asked because he really didn’t want to leave her; he kisses the crown of her head gently.

“Sure” he whispers, he feels her smile against his chest “Whatever you need, remember. Always”. His fingers trail along her back, lulling her to sleep. She needs rest; they have plenty of time for talk in the morning. It doesn’t take long for sleep to pull her under, for a while he just watches her sleep. Thinking he has to be the luckiest SOB in the world to have the woman he loves in his arms knowing that she loves him too. He’s not some naive kid he knows this won’t be easy but it’s worth the risk, she’s worth the risk. He has a lot of regrets, probably more than anyone person should but he’ll never regret telling her this. He feels himself drifting into contented sleep, the weight he carries on his shoulders just that bit lighter with her by his side.


End file.
